56. Toenails

Mile 53 – Slow going but getting easier.

What is the point of toenails for distance runners? If they are not cut short enough, they just bash against the ends of your trainers, turn black, then fall off.

I remember a young lady at the club who gave up running for a couple of months before her wedding simply so that she could have a full set of nails on the day.

I reached a landmark in my recovery from the broken leg this week when I was able to bend my knee far enough to trim my toenails. It’s not something you can really ask someone else to do without a lot of stress for both parties.

I continue to recover my strength and had even been hobbling around the house without the crutches, until our friend Shiela, an experienced physio, called in to put me straight. It’s not a race to be rid of the crutches! She looked at the way I was walking unaided and pointed out that it looked as if my nappy needed changing. I was limping badly and putting a lot of strain on my right hip. It is much better to keep both crutches, swing them with the opposite leg, as you would normally swing your arms when walking, and concentrate on an upright posture with your weight on both legs. She also looked at the exercises on my list and gave me tips for doing those properly. To date I hadn’t been able to bend my knee far enough to do much but now I am able to lie down on the floor and follow the routines. Thanks, Shiela!

—oOo—

It was chemotherapy as usual this week, quite a short visit in the morning for just Bortezomib and Dexamethasone. I still felt I was struggling from a lack of haemoglobin, feeling very tired, and, shortly after coming home, I chased up a prescription for iron tablets. It resulted in Sue having to return to the hospital in the afternoon to pick them up. She still remains the main victim of the treatment: it’s always her time that is required.

The Dex kept me awake on Thursday and Friday nights, with only a short burst of hiccups on Thursday. The same routine as most weeks, but by the weekend I seemed to have a little more colour in my face and so perhaps my haemoglobin is recovering.

—oOo—

On Thursday I walked all the way down the High Street to the dentist and then the barbers with the aid of a single crutch. I stopped to chat with lots of people on the way: one who had recently broken his ankle and another who is looking at a knee replacement. A friend from the camera club came over in the week and, as well as discussing cameras, he told me about his plans for further work on his knee. I feel I’m not alone and I’m joining the ranks of those whose main worry is to avoid falling over. I have never been so aware of uneven pavements.

—oOo—

I spent a lot of the week standing at my desk building the Magic Piano that my sister-in-law, Gail, and her family gave me for my birthday. It was a good opportunity to get used to putting weight on my leg for prolonged periods. I must be getting the hang of these models now, as I didn’t need to find the superglue to fix broken parts.

I can’t believe how much trouble they go to with the design. There are a dozen gears, some of the keys move up and down and there is even a cat and a candelabra. Not only do they work out the order in which to assemble the thing but also how to laser cut the plywood in order to minimise waste. Hours of fun and ideal for entertaining the housebound in a wet week.

Thanks to a couple more friends: Mike for taking me out for lunch and Glen for the lift to camera club.

Thanks for reading and take care.